Today is a day for nostalgia food. And I recently ran across a Pioneer Woman recipe that reminded me of a childhood favourite of mine. Her recipe was a bit more involved than I remember mine being, but it was still clearly in the same genus. I'm pretty sure the version that I grew up with was just ham, cheese, mayo, and pasta (preferably shells). The PW recipe adds mustard, peas, parsley, yogurt, lemon juice, honey, olive oil, bell pepper, and green onions. I thought the mustardd and peas sounded like excellent additions. The parsley and green onions gave a bit of extra green, so I also tossed them in. And the yogurt was a way to lighten it up a bit, so I decided to use that as well. I decided to leave out the olive oil and honey. But I did like the idea of a bit of extra acidity from the lemon juice, so I put that in too. I think the bell pepper would also be nice. (And possibly something that was also included in my childhood version. I just can't quite remember anymore.) But I left it out since I didn't want to poison Reiver.

Ham and Cheese Pasta Salad

Adapted from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 450g small shell or macaroni pasta
• 1 1/2 c. frozen peas
• 3/4 c. mayonnaise
• 1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt
• 3 Tbsp. yellow mustard
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 225g mild cheddar, cubed
• 225g ham, cubed
• 1 bell pepper, chopped (optional)
• 3-4 green onions, sliced thin

Directions

1. Boil the pasta until al dente, then add peas and boil for 1 minute longer. Drain.
2. Stir together mayo, yogurt, mustard, lemon juice, parsley, and pepper in a large bowl.
3. Mix in the pasta and peas, cheese, ham, bell pepper (if using), and green onions.
4. Salad may be served immediately, but is best after it has chilled for several hours.

I've been making a lot of waffles lately. Mostly because they're relatively quick and easy and don't require any advanced planning. I'd like to get better about doing more nutritious breakfasts, but in the meantime... something is better than nothing. These muffins aren't really any better than more waffles, but they are at least a different form factor, so I figured I'd give them a try.

Blueberry Muffins with Almond Streusel

Slightly adapted from The Breakfast Bible by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

Topping

• 2 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/4 c. flour
• 45g sliced almonds

Muffins

• 140g all-purpose flour
• 140g whole wheat flour
• 150g brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 c. blueberries
• 1 1/4 c. buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 c. butter, melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F) and grease a muffin tin.
2. Work the butter into the sugar and flour until crumbly, then mix in the almonds. Set aside.
3. Combine the flours and sugar.
4. Sift in the baking powder and baking soda and mix well.
5. Add the blueberries and toss to combine.
6. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs, butter, and vanilla.
7. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir to combine.
8. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins and sprinkle with streusel topping.
9. Turn oven down to 180°C (350°F) and bake for 20 minutes.
10. Turn out onto wire rack to cool.